Hand & Wrist Nerve Injury Treatment in New Jersey

Specialized Care for Nerve Injuries, Lacerations & Compression

An injury to a nerve in the hand or wrist can cause more than pain. It may affect sensation, strength, coordination, and your ability to use your hand normally.

Sometimes the cause is obvious — such as a deep cut, accident, fracture, or other traumatic injury. In other cases, symptoms such as numbness, tingling, weakness, or loss of sensation may develop from pressure or damage to a nerve.

At Modern Orthopaedics of New Jersey, our hand and wrist specialists evaluate and treat a wide range of nerve injuries and nerve-related conditions, including traumatic nerve lacerations, digital nerve injuries, and compression of the median, ulnar, or radial nerves.

Did You Injure or Cut a Nerve?

Nerves run throughout the hand and fingers, often close to tendons, blood vessels, and other important structures. A deep cut or traumatic injury can partially or completely damage a nerve — sometimes leaving an area of the finger or hand numb even after the skin has healed.

Signs of a nerve injury may include:

• Numbness or loss of sensation after a cut or injury
• Tingling, burning, or “pins and needles”
• Weakness in the hand or fingers
• Difficulty moving or controlling a finger
• Changes in grip or pinch strength
• Shooting or electric-like pain
• Persistent symptoms following a fracture, dislocation, or other trauma

If sensation or function has changed after an injury, a hand specialist can determine whether a nerve has been stretched, compressed, partially injured, or completely lacerated.

Nerve Conditions We Treat

The ulnar nerve supplies sensation to the small finger and part of the ring finger while also controlling several muscles involved in grip strength and fine hand movements.

Injury or compression of the ulnar nerve can lead to numbness, weakness, loss of dexterity, or difficulty using the hand normally.

Fractures, dislocations, crush injuries, penetrating injuries, and other accidents can damage nerves in the hand, wrist, forearm, or upper extremity.

Because traumatic injuries frequently involve more than one structure, evaluation may also include nearby tendons, ligaments, bones, and blood vessels.

How Are Hand & Wrist Nerve Injuries Treated?

Treatment depends on the nerve involved, the location of the injury, how severe the damage is, and how long symptoms have been present.

Some nerve injuries may recover without surgery and can be treated with:

• Observation and monitoring
• Hand therapy
• Splinting
• Activity modification
• Treatment of associated injuries

When a nerve has been significantly damaged, compressed, or lacerated, surgical treatment may be recommended.

The goal of treatment is to give the nerve the best opportunity to recover while helping restore sensation, movement, strength, and function whenever possible.

When Should You See a Hand Specialist?

You should consider evaluation if you experience persistent numbness, weakness, or loss of sensation following:

• A deep cut to the hand, wrist, or finger
• A workplace or machinery injury
• A fracture or dislocation
• A crush injury
• A sports injury
• Previous hand or wrist trauma
• Surgery or another procedure involving the upper extremity

A visible wound does not always indicate how much damage may have occurred beneath the skin. If nerve function has changed following an injury, timely evaluation can help determine the extent of the injury and appropriate next steps.

Expert Evaluation for Hand & Wrist Nerve Injuries

Modern Orthopaedics of New Jersey provides specialized evaluation and treatment for patients with traumatic and compressive nerve conditions of the hand and wrist.

Our team works to identify exactly which nerve has been affected, determine the extent of the injury, and develop a treatment plan designed around restoring function and helping patients return to the activities that matter to them.

If you have experienced numbness, weakness, or loss of sensation following a hand or wrist injury, schedule an evaluation with a Modern Orthopaedics hand and wrist specialist.